Field of the Invention
Floating barriers, known generally as oil booms, have been found to have great utility in containing and controlling oil slicks on bodies of water. The barriers usually include flotation elements having a depending liquid impervious skirt which, when deployed around or in a controlling position relative to oil floating on water, provide means to contain or prevent the oil from spreading or moving into areas protected by the barrier.
Present art barriers generally utilize either a solid material as the flotation medium or gas inflatable flotation elements.
It is also known, as disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 683,189 filed May 4, 1976 to provide control wires, chains or the like on either one or both sides of the oil boom to maintain the integrity of the boom and to provide means whereby the configuration of the boom may be maintained by connecting to the control wires additional cables, chains or the like, which additional cables or chains may be connected to other booms, the shore, a wreck, a boat or boats, or to sea or bottom anchors or any combination thereof.